


Not a Padawan

by Firefliesonalake



Series: Instance Verse [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka and Rex playing sabaac, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, F/M, Female Obi-Wan Kenobi, Female Obi-wan thinks Ahsoka's got a gambling problem, Obi-wan and Anakin clash as usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 15:56:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7808074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firefliesonalake/pseuds/Firefliesonalake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He is a darn, reckless fool. And she is no better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not a Padawan

 

 

**Disclaimer:** Star wars belongs to Disney and George Lucas. I make no profit from this.

**Summary:** Obi-wan disagrees Anakin's teaching style.

* * *

**Not a Padawan**

Obi-wan enters to a cacophony of cheers. The cargo bay is the last place Obi-wan expects to find Cody. She spies him amongst a rowdy assemblage of troopers, recognising Cody by both his distinctive Force signature and the yellow stripe on his armour. He stands to the back of the formation, conversing with one of his brothers.

"Cody."

The commander straightens and pivots his body to face the Jedi Master.

"Sir!" he acknowledges.

"What is going on here?" she inquires, gesturing to the crowd of troopers.

"Just a little bit of fun sir, nothing to be worried about," Cody informs her.

"Oh I'm not, I am merely curious about what is making everyone so lively," she says.

A slight guilty expression crosses his features. "Ah, perhaps it's best if you see for yourself," he says, stepping aside.

"Very well if you insist."

Curiosity piqued, Obi-wan moves forward. It is unlike Cody to be so avoidant. Perhaps he feared her disapproval for permitting the troopers to behave frivolously. Obi-wan does not begrudge the troopers for their entertainment. Force knows high spirits are in short supply these days. A slight respite can only be beneficial to their well-being. Considering what these men sacrifice in the name of the Republic, she sees no fault in it.

The trooper nearest to Obi-wan whoops directly into her ear, pumping his fist in the air. One of his brothers, who has noted her presence, taps him on the shoulder, and points to the Jedi Master.

The trooper tenses, and looks down at the woman. Obi-wan raises an eye brow. He, and his companion promptly step aside, and she inclines her head.

Squeezing her way through the mass of clone troopers, Obi-wan hears a high-pitched voice. "Read them and weep boys!"

Obi-wan's head snaps up at the so fast, she feels a kink in her neck. That voice can only belong to one person. Someone who should be fast asleep their quarters...

Slipping between the burly figures of troopers, Obi-wan manages to reach the front of the crowd. Ahsoka and Captain Rex are seated on upturned crates, with a third serving as a table between them. On the make-shift table is a deck of sabacc cards and an assortment of multi-coloured bottle tops. Both players hold seven cards in their possession.

Ahsoka grabs a handful of bottle tops from her pile and deposits them in the middle of make-shift table. "I bet ten bottle caps I have a Pure Sabacc in my hands," she boasts.

"Alright then kid, if you want to play such high stakes, I bet fifteen," Rex says, taking bottle caps from his own stash and adding them to the betting pile.

A murmur of anticipation ripples through the crowd.

"Are you sure you want to risk it Rex?"

"Every battle is a gamble commander."

Ahsoka's expression is smug when she lays her cards down. "Beat that!"

Rex's face is impassive as he places his own set of cards on the make-shift table. "I wouldn't speak too soon commander," he warns.

Ahsoka's blue eyes widen. "No way! That's the...

"The Idiots Array commander," Rex finishes for her.

Ahsoka gives him a petulant look. "Aww kriff!" she swears.

Their audience bursts into raucous laughter, and Rex chuckles along with them. Obi-wan, arms crossed and spine rigid is less than amused. _Gambling and swearing. Only Anakin's padawan would deem it sensible to engage in such past times_.

Ahsoka should be asleep in her quarters, taking advantage this time to rest. She may be a Jedi padawan, capable of manipulating her body's physiological systems through the Force, but she is still only in the stage of early adolescence. In Obi-wan's eyes she is only a child, and sleep is critical to their development.

The troopers fall silent as Obi-wan approaches the pair. Rex, upon catching her eye swiftly gathers to his feet, and Ahsoka follows suit. The youngling hangs her head, folding her left arm over her body to clutch her opposite wrist.

Obi-wan clears her throat. "Ahsoka, if I might have a word?"

"Yes Master," Ahsoka mutters.

Troopers clear a path for the Jedi as Obi-wan guides the padawan away. She will not chastise Ahsoka here, not amongst a congregation of clones. Ahsoka's effectiveness as a commander partly depends on having the respect of these men, and Jedi affairs are best kept private.

A lone trooper comments, "Gotta say General Kenobi's one strict Master. Too bad General Skywalker isn't here, at least he knows how to loosen –

The trooper is cuffed upside the head by one of his nearest companions. "Shut it bonehead. Do you want to be reassigned to maintenance?"

Obi-wan wonders what the verdict would be if Anakin were present. She doubts he would be stern. Her former apprentice has a rather unconventional teaching style. With all this excitement, Obi-wan holds a nagging suspicion that Anakin would encourage Ahsoka's misconduct by joining the troopers in their fun. _Anakin always loves to be in the middle of the action_ , she thinks dryly.

It is the thought of Anakin dealing out sabacc cards which motivates her to walk faster, leaving poor Ahsoka scurrying to keep up.

* * *

The pair happen across Anakin on their trek back to Ahsoka's quarters. Anakin looks surprised to see them traversing down the corridor. No doubt, questioning why his apprentice is not asleep in her quarters.

Ahsoka has not spoken since they left the cargo bay, and Obi-wan believes it to be an appropriate time for reflection. One's own conscious can sometimes be a far greater teacher than a Master.

Anakin acts as a buffer between the female Jedi and the hatchway, his large figure deterring their path. Obi-wan and Ahsoka are forced to halt before him to avoid a collision.

"What is going on here? Ahsoka why are you not in bed?" Anakin demands.

Ahsoka bites her lip and rubs her arm. "Umm I was, well uh..."

"Discovering the joy of new hobbies and sleep deprivation," Obi-wan interjects.

Anakin frowns. "New hobbies?"

"Ahsoka displays quite the aptitude for sabacc," she remarks.

"Sabacc?" Anakin echoes. The Jedi Knight turns his piercing gaze on the little togruta, and her shoulders slump.

"Um well you see, it kind of all started when I–

"Never mind that now, Ahsoka I suggest you return your quarters and make the most of the time you have left to get some sleep," Obi-wan interrupts.

Ahsoka lifts her eyes from the floor to the Jedi Master's. Obi-wan places her hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, directing her forward. "Go on young one, its late."

She disapproves of how Ahsoka's orange-skinned shoulder blades are left bare. Has anyone ever spoken to the girl about _decent_ attire? The Council had sworn assigning Ahsoka as his padawan would be good for his temperament, that the responsibility of training another Jedi would teach him both wisdom and much-needed patience. However given all she's recently witnessed, Obi-wan harbours doubts. Gambling, swearing, inappropriate clothing...sometimes she wonders if Anakin is too inexperienced to teach a padawan.

The little togruta keeps her head bowed as she bypasses Anakin, and swiftly disappears through the hatchway.

"Hey hold on–

Anakin makes to follow after his apprentice, but Obi-wan grasps his forearm. "Let her go. She needs rest, and we are needed on the bridge," she tells him.

Not even sparing her a look, Anakin wrenches his arm out of her hold, and storms off down the corridor.

_Was it something I said?_

She sighs and shakes her head at his departing figure. Whatever peevish mood Anakin has allowed himself to be caught in, he better snap out of it. They can't plan an effective military campaign if he's not maintaining a clear head.

One sullen padawan is enough to deal with. No need to add a brooding Jedi Knight to the equation.

* * *

"Their frigates have a distinct weakness, along these turrets here..." Obi-wan trails off, upon realising her fellow General is not listening.

Across the blue holographic-readout of a Separatist frigate, Anakin is hunched over, clutching the edge of the holo-projector.

"Anakin?"

The Jedi Knight lifts his head and fixes her with a scowl. "What?" he barks.

"We were devising the best way to overcome the Separatist fleet," she reminds him.

Anakin waves a dismissive hand. "Go ahead and talk, it's not like you need my opinion," he says.

Obi-wan frowns. Her former apprentice has been uncharacteristically silent throughout the consultation. In most instances, Anakin is usually brimming with suggestions (and the occasional hair-raising scheme). Even if he is devoid of a plan, the Jedi Knight _always_ has an opinion and never fails to make his views known.

_Something_ is bothering him, and it's impacting upon his ability think clearly.

She presses an icon on the holo-projector and the glowing layout of the Separatist frigate disperses.

"Alright what is it?" she asks.

"Nothing," he denies. The Jedi Knight refuses to meet her gaze, keeping his attention on the holo-projectors surface.

"We can't plan a campaign while you're being stroppy Anakin," she chides.

Anakin's head shoots up, and Obi-wan finds herself on the receiving end of a rather heated glare. His Force signature is melting pot of negativity...frustration, bitterness, resentment...where were all these gloom-ridden emotions coming from?

" _Stroppy_?" he bites out.

"Well you're certainly not being productive," she says dryly.

"You made it clear you don't want my input," Anakin retorts.

"Since when did I–

"After all you don't even trust me to deal with my own padawan," Anakin interposes, his tone clipped.

So that's what all this fuss is about. Anakin didn't appreciate her circumventing his authority as Ahsoka's teacher.

"I never said you were–

"Incapable of teaching a padawan?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," she snaps.

Anakin circles around the holo-projector, running his hand along the rim of its surface. She is given the impression of a predatory bird surveying their prey.

"Do you know what I think Master?"

"Oh go ahead, do enlighten me," she says, crossing her arms.

"You still see me as an unruly padawan," he says bitterly.

"I can assure you that is hardly the case."

An _overgrown_ padawan, perhaps.

Juvenile behaviour aside, Anakin has more than proven his capability as a Jedi Knight. He's a fine warrior, a prodigious pilot and a skilled tactician. She has never doubted his skills or intellect, but rather his temperament. The Jedi Knight has no sense of patience, compliance or humility, virtues crucial for any teacher to have, Jedi or not.

Anakin reaches her side of the holo-projector, and Obi-wan swivels to face him. "I'm not your padawan anymore. I'm a Jedi Knight in my own right." he asserts.

Against her better judgement, Obi-wan's expression softens. "Anakin," she says. "I know."

"Then why did you undermine my authority as Ahsoka's teacher? Why did you not trust me to handle the situation?"Anakin demands.

Obi-wan looks away, his words hitting a little too close to home.

Maybe she had over-reacted slightly. Ahsoka would not develop a gambling problem from a few good-natured rounds of sabacc, and blasphemous language was rife in the military.

"I apologise...I may have been overly hasty in my assessment of the situation. I guess I have not yet fully learnt to let go of my role as a teacher," she admits.

" _Overly hasty_? You haven't even explained to me what happened in the first place!" Anakin exclaims.

"Alright! Alright! I was wrong!" she cedes, throwing her hands up.

Anakin puts a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry Master, I didn't quite catch that."

"I was wrong to interfere," she says, irritated at having to repeat herself.

"Excuse me if I find it hard to accept your apology," Anakin fumes.

The Jedi Master massages her temples. To be overly concerned by such minor trivialities is quintessential Anakin behaviour. She's explicitly acknowledged her mistake, and he still endeavours on pursuing the subject when they have far more important matters to discuss. It is precisely his lack of discretion and forethought which leads her to doubt his ability to teach the next generation of Jedi.

"Anakin, must we really discuss this now?" she inquires, weary.

"Yes _we must_."

"Fine if you insist on exhausting the topic, should I contact the Jedi Council and inform them our plans to eliminate the Separatist blockade of Eriadu are to be delayed?"

Anakin scowls. "You just don't get it do you Master?"

When he paces forward, she takes an instinctive step back. "What don't I understand Anakin?" she asks quietly, trying best to ignore his disregard for personal space.

Ideally in her experience, it was better to let Anakin to have his spiel. Allow him to rave and then calm. Problem solved.

The Jedi Knight surprises her with Force-enhanced reflexes, as he closes the distance, trapping her between his body and the holo-projector. Obi-wan inches away, her back colliding against the holo-projector.

Lifting her chin, Obi-wan meets the eyes of her former padawan, shocked. Anakin's expression is strangely grim for one who has invaded her personal space. She expects him to be smug, at the very least.

Anakin leans over her. "I am not a padawan Obi-wan," he says fiercely.

"Your behaviour suggests otherwise," she retorts, trying to ignore her uneasiness at his close proximity. Behind her, she grasps the rim of the holo-projector all the more tighter.

It's all simply a game to Anakin. His invasion of her private space is merely an attempt to catch her off balance. Ashamedly he has caught her off guard.

"What must I do Obi-wan?" Anakin murmurs. "How can prove to you that I'm not a padawan?"

"You can move away for starters," she tells him curtly.

Deliberately contradictory, the Jedi Knight tilts his head down, and shifts closer still. Alarmed, Obi-wan raises her arms, and pushes her hands against his chest to keep him at bay.

"I'm serious," Anakin insists.

"And you believe I'm joking?" she exclaims. "Anakin! Really this–

" _Obi-wan_."

Anakin's tone has taken on a low edge, and she finds herself taken back by the sternness of it. How had they gotten from planning the campaign for Eriadu, to this? How had she allowed for the situation to get so out of hand?

The Jedi Knight's crystalline blue eyes seem unusually bright as they scrutinise her face. Or is that merely the lighting?

Anakin places his gloved hand on her shoulder, close to the exposed skin of her neck. Instinctively Obi-wan detracts her own from his chest, to squeeze the Jedi Knight's wrist. Her reaction does not faze him, unfortunately his mechanical arm has no pressure points she can exploit.

"Anakin," she warns.

"What must I do?" he repeats, his voice low. "Tell me."

The Jedi Knight reaches up with his idle hand to brush a lock of auburn of hair which has fallen over shoulder, and she catches his other wrist.

"I already told you."

"I'm not a padawan," Anakin says.

" _I know_."

Anakin's expression is unreadable as he inclines his head further. The scent of engine fuel and spices from his clothing permeates her nostrils.

Before she can open her mouth to speak, his chapped lips lightly graze her own. The Force around them is a psychic impetus of Anakin, all passion and wild-fire. Completely irrational. Entirely sincere.

His mechanical hand, freed from her loosened grasp, traces her cheek. His flesh hand, similarly released from her hold, slides up her palm, and the tips of their fingers interlink.

A tingle in her Force senses is her only warning. The blast door to their right hisses open, and Anakin with reflexes no ordinary human could accomplish, vaults away from her and the holo-projector.

Admiral Yularen strides into the room, hands folded behind his back in their customary manner.

Obi-wan wonders if he notes their unusual deep breathing and slanted body postures. If he suspects anything out of place...

"Ah Generals I see you have begun the briefing...thought it might of been more prudent to inform me of the change in schedule?"

The Jedi Master briefly meets Anakin's eyes, and quickly turns her attention back to Admiral Yularen.

His lips are pursed beneath his trimmed moustache.

Obi-wan nods. "Of course, you are right Admiral. I apologise. It will not happen again," she states, not only for the Admirals benefit.

Admiral Yularen deflates. "I suppose, we all make mistakes, even Jedi," he says.

Her insides involuntarily churn. The Admiral has no idea how _truthful_ his words are.

Aware of Anakin watching her closely, she adds, "Yes, well regardless we all must acknowledge our mistakes."

"Shall we commence the briefing?" the admiral asks.

"Of course."

All three position themselves around the holo-projector. She is careful to keep her attention on the blue holo-graphic display, and not the blue eyes of Anakin, who has strategically placed himself across from her.

Anakin remains quiet during the meeting, only adding his input if inquired by the Admiral. It was, she could safely say, the first briefing, Anakin has ever allowed another person to direct.

Everyone must acknowledge their mistakes. She acknowledges hers. Anakin is most certainly _not_ a padawan.

He is a darn, reckless fool.

And she is no better.


End file.
